![]() ![]() In a high altitude environment, it is easy to overcook meat and poultry or scorch casseroles. Use the sea-level time and temperature guidelines when oven-roasting meat and poultry, as oven temperatures are not affected by altitude changes.Ī food thermometer is the only way to measure whether food has reached a safe internal temperature. Depending on the density and size of the pieces, meats and poultry cooked by moist heat may take up to one-fourth more cooking time when cooked at 5,000 feet. This is especially true for meat cooked by simmering or braising. Cooking meat and poultry at high altitudes may require adjustments in both time and moisture. With such high water content, meat and poultry are susceptible to drying out while being cooked if special precautions are not taken. The leaner the meat, the higher the water content (less fat means more protein, thus more water). The muscle is approximately 75% water (although different cuts of meat may have more or less water) and 20% protein, with the remaining 5% representing a combination of fat, carbohydrates and minerals. Meat and poultry products are composed of muscle, connective tissue, fat, and bone. ![]() How do high altitudes affect the cooking of meat and poultry? Even if the heat is turned up, the water will simply boil away faster and whatever you are cooking will dry out faster. No matter how high the cooking temperature, water cannot exceed its own boiling point - unless if using a pressure cooker. Turning up the heat will not help cook food faster. To compensate for the lower boiling point of water, the cooking time must be increased. Covering foods during cooking will help retain moisture.Īs altitude increases and atmospheric pressure decreases, the boiling point of water decreases. High altitude areas are also prone to low humidity, which can cause the moisture in foods to evaporate more quickly during cooking. Because water boils at a lower temperature at higher elevations, foods that are prepared by boiling or simmering will cook at a lower temperature, and it will take longer to cook. At 7,500 feet, for example, water boils at about 198 ☏. With each 500-feet increase in elevation, the boiling point of water is lowered by just under 1 ☏. Leavening gases in breads and cakes expand more.Īs atmospheric pressure decreases, water boils at lower temperatures.Water and other liquids evaporate faster and boil at lower temperatures.This decreased pressure affects food preparation in two ways: At sea level, the air presses on a square inch of surface with 14.7 pounds pressure at 5,000 feet with 12.3 pounds pressure and at 10,000 feet with only 10.2 pounds pressure - a decrease of about 1/2 pound per 1,000 feet. The reason is the lower atmospheric pressure due to a thinner blanket of air above. Moisture quickly evaporates from everything.Īt altitudes above 3,000 feet, preparation of food may require changes in time, temperature or recipe. The air has less oxygen and atmospheric pressure, so cooking takes longer. How is the air different at high altitudes?Ībove 2,500 feet, the atmosphere becomes much drier. Most of the western United States (Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming) are wholly or partly at high altitude, however many other states contain mountainous areas that are also well above sea level. Most cookbooks consider 3,000 feet above sea level to be high altitude, although at 2,000 feet above sea level, the boiling temperature of water is 208 ☏ instead of 212 ☏. Where the altitude is above 3,000 feet, special cooking methods are needed for meat and poultry. The thin air - less oxygen and atmospheric pressure - affects both the time and the temperature of most everything that's cooked. Cooking at a high altitude requires some special considerations. Where to Get More Information about Cooking at High Altitudesįully one-third of the population of the United States lives at high altitudes.How should home canning processes be altered?.Is cooking affected when using a pressure cooker at high altitudes?.How do high altitudes affect cooking with a slow cooker?.Is cooking affected when using small electrical appliances at high altitudes?. ![]() Is cooking affected when using microwaves at high altitudes?.Is egg cookery affected at high altitudes?.How do high altitudes affect the cooking of meat and poultry?.How is the air different at high altitudes?. ![]()
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